Urgent Care
by jstar1382
Summary: Third Installment in the Medical Attention Series: New York City was in a state of panic but he couldn't think about that right now, all he cared about was making sure his family was safe. S3 AU
1. Chapter 1

_If you're new to the universe...Start with Medical Attention and then Family Practice. And so begins part three..._

* * *

 ** _Urgent Care_**

* * *

 _Third Installment in the Medical Attention Series: New York City was in a state of panic but he couldn't think about that right now, all he cared about was making sure his family was safe. S3 AU_

* * *

 _ **Chapter One**_

She was zoning out while eating breakfast and for once, she couldn't blame the kids.

They'd both slept well last night - _finally_.

A long night of tying up loose ends on the latest homicide had left her lacking in the sleep department, and her morning coffee hadn't quite kicked in. It was going to be a long day ahead if she couldn't wake up. She looked down at the newspaper and realized she'd been reading the same sentence over and over.

Not exactly promising.

Taking another long sip from her mug, she listened for any indication that anyone else was awake - the silence was promising. All night and not a cry or a peep from her little girl.

Maybe Charlie had finally learned the art of sleeping through the night, but she was doubtful. She'd been spoiled by Liam - he'd slept through from twelve weeks - and she had thought her daughter would be like her big brother.

Charlie had other plans.

Most nights, she was a night owl. Almost two years old and her little girl was normally wide awake at all hours of the night, keeping Rick company while he tried to work on the sequel to Heat Wave. He called Charlie his 'mini muse' and he'd tell Kate that their daughter helped him sort out difficult plot points during his late night writing binges. He'd claimed that she would smile when she approved of an idea and smack a drooly kiss on his lips, but when she hadn't liked something she'd stick her tongue out and shake her head.

According to him, she rarely disagreed with his ideas.

She was a daddy's girl, through and through. While Rick would argue that Charlie was a carbon copy of her in the looks department, in actuality their daughter was just like him.

Full of life, full of energy, the girl loved with her whole heart.

And everyone loved their little girl.

Kate smiled into her coffee mug, the caffeine finally working its way through her system.

Everything was near perfect in their lives, so if that meant an occasional sleepless night, she'd take that minor sacrifice in a heartbeat. Not everyone was as lucky as they were; a happy family, completely head over heels in love.

Lanie, especially, couldn't help but tease them constantly about how sickeningly adorable they were while claiming full responsibility for their relationship. She would never stop; Kate was convinced that setting the two of them up was her proudest accomplishment to date.

Their lives had been entirely chaotic since that fateful meeting, but now that Rick had sold his share of his medical practice and was solely focused on writing and their family, life was calmer. They'd hit their stride. And even though he might not be a practicing doctor anymore, it didn't mean that she wouldn't still don the little nurse's outfit and call him doctor on an occasional night between the sheets.

Her mind drifted to a couple weeks ago when Martha had had the kids and they'd had a rare night to themselves. He had been a little overzealous and ripped the costume.

That had been a good night.

Heat flooded her cheeks as she got lost in the memory. She needed to make sure to buy a new one for future nights…

"Mommy?"

The sound of Liam's voice made her jump. She hadn't even heard him come down the stairs.

"Hey, buddy. What are you doing up already?"

"The sun's awake and so am I," he recited, crawling up onto the seat next to her and reaching forward to touch her cheek. "Why's your face red?"

Her sweet, curious boy - he'd make a great detective someday, never letting the slightest detail slide at the inquisitive age of six years old. Though times like these, she wished he was a little less observant.

"My coffee warmed my cheeks," she said with a smile, before leaning forward to brush a kiss onto his forehead. "Did it sound like your sister was still sleeping?"

"Charlie was talking to herself." He giggled and scooted into her lap, cuddling close. Obviously her quiet morning was over, but she'd take cuddle time with her kids over that any day.

"She was?"

"Yeah. She does that. Do you think she sees dead people?"

 _Rick._

"Wha- what?" she asked, her eyes widening, before shaking her head. "No, no she's just being a baby. You used to do the same thing when you were her age."

"Do you think _I_ saw dead people?" He looked up at her with such an innocent expression, like he really was worried about the possibility. Trying to ease his concerns, she carded her fingers through his wild bedhead hair and shook her head again.

"No, baby. No one is seeing dead people."

She loved her husband. She did, but if he let Liam stay up late watching movies like _The Sixth Sense_ again, perhaps she'd be investigating _his_ homicide.

* * *

The day was over in a flash, soaking up family time with a trip to the zoo and lunch in the park. It was surprisingly warm for the end of February and for being raised in the city, Liam and Charlie loved being outdoors. All the fresh air must have worn them out because they were both in bed shortly after dinner. And she was walking on eggshells, praying that their little night owl stayed asleep.

Rick met her in his office where she was curled up with her new fuzzy throw blanket on his worn leather couch. It was her favorite place to decompress at the end of the day. The space was warm and every inch of the decor eased her mind, reminding her of Rick.

Normally he'd bring her a glass of wine and they'd cuddle together and watch a movie or an episode of some HBO show that Rick swore was all the rage.

Tonight she was still on call for three more hours so she'd have to settle for his special hot chocolate instead. He handed her the mug with a smile and a kiss on her forehead before he slid onto the cushion next to her. Allowing the ceramic to warm her hands for a second, she took a small sip and placed it on the table next to them.

"Can you believe our luck?"

"What do you mean?" Kate sighed, adjusting herself and sinking against his side as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You're on call, but we've made it all day without a case."

She craned her neck, looking at him with a smirk and an arched eyebrow.

"You mean, _I've_ made it all day without a case." He opened his mouth to defend himself but she wouldn't allow it, placing two fingers over his lips to silence him. "Just because you've gotten approval to follow me around for the next Nikki Heat book doesn't mean you're suddenly a cop. Doctor and writer are enough professions for one man."

"It's just inspiring to watch you work, watching my muse in action."

 _Muse._

Kate bit back a laugh and turned to nip at his shoulder. He loved calling her that.

"Enough with the muse talk, babe. Anyway, I thought I always inspired you? Now, it's only when you're working a case with me?"

His eyes grew wide and panic flashed across his expression. Sometimes she couldn't stop herself from taking the opportunity to mess with him.

"No, of course not. You're -" She couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "Oh. _Ha ha_ , very funny."

"You got so flustered. It was _too_ easy."

"Fine, but you have to admit that I'm helpful -"

The words were no sooner from his lips before her cell phone started to ring, causing her to groan and nudge her forehead against the wall of his chest. He had jinxed their perfectly relaxing evening at home. Reaching for the offending device, she took a breath and reluctantly answered the call.

Rick's face, however, was lit up like a kid at Christmas.

"Beckett," she barked into the receiver, listening to dispatch as they recited the details and address to the latest homicide. "Okay, be there in fifteen."

She narrowed her eyes at him as she pocketed her cell phone.

"What?"

"You're actually excited." She threw the blanket off of her lap and dug her toes into the rug. Turning her head to look out the office window, she noticed the rain, not heavy, but it was sprinkling.

It wasn't cold enough for snow, but this wouldn't make the late night body drop anymore pleasant. She skulked toward the coat closet to find her black boots and her newest trench with Rick practically bouncing at her heels.

"Helping you with cases is fun," he said, helping her into her coat. She spun around to face him and her expression must have been serious enough that it caused his to fall.

"Rick, someone was murdered. It's not exactly fun."

"Okay, true." He held up his hands before placing them on her arms with a small squeeze. "But helping solve the case and catching the bad guy -"

"I totally understand why peds was your calling," she said, with a slight turn of her lips. "Sometimes you're like a nine year old on a sugar rush."

"And yet you're madly in love with me."

"Despite my better judgment," she teased with a quick wink before leaning forward and brushing her lips against his. "Are you staying with the kids tonight or can Alexis stay?"

"I'll go run up and check. They're both sleeping, it's pretty much the world's easiest babysitting job."

"Shh! Will you stop jinxing everything tonight?" She smirked and swatted at his ass as he moved to talk to his eldest.

"What good would I be if I didn't make things interesting?" he asked, running up the stairs.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Their life was definitely interesting.

* * *

The rain made everything slick, the street painted with a jet black shine with fog billowing from the sewers. It was just eerie. Everything about tonight felt that way.

Pulling up to the crime scene, she felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Rick would claim it was some psychic sense, but she never believed in any of that. He was a scientist by trade, but she was still the one that focused on logic. He always believed in the unseen and the mystical. She believed in facts.

Except for right now.

She had an awful feeling about this case as she killed the engine.

"Hey?" he asked, placing his hand against her knee. "Are you okay? You look really pale all of the sudden."

With a shrug, she took a deep breath. "I don't know. Maybe it's something I ate, I just feel off." There was no time for this. Weird feelings aside, there was a victim who deserved justice and she needed to focus. "I'll be fine," she said, reaching for the door handle and hurrying out of the car.

Rick intercepted her on the sidewalk, stopping her from turning to the crime scene by cupping his palm against her elbow and tugging her back.

"Kate?"

"I promise." She leaned forward on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Let's just get this over with and maybe I can lie down for a bit afterward."

He nodded and followed her wordlessly toward the yellow police tape, his silence only confirming his worry. In all the time she had known him, he was rarely silent.

She offered him a hesitant smile before ducking beneath the tape; the closer they got to the scene, the worse she felt. Her heart was racing, the feeling of dread almost overwhelming.

Maybe she was coming down with something. She took another deep breath, trying to calm her mind.

And that's when she saw the victim.

Peaceful.

Blonde.

Beautiful.

Her eyes met Lanie's and the look of horror on her friend's face confirmed her worst fear. This wasn't just another case, another murder…

It was happening again.

3XK was back.

* * *

 _ **tbc**_

 _Thanks for reading!_

 _I know this is a bit different for this universe, but I'm excited for the journey and I hope you all enjoy it._

 _Alex, Jo and Esther. xoxoxo_


	2. Chapter 2

**_._**

* * *

 ** _Urgent Care_**

* * *

 _Third Installment in the Medical Attention Series: New York City was in a state of panic but he couldn't think about that right now, all he cared about was making sure his family was safe. S3 AU_

* * *

 _ **Chapter Two**_

Kate was silent on the way to the precinct, her mind trying to process everything from the scene, the images flashing through in rapid succession. Her heart rattled against her rib cage and she looked down at her clenched fists to find that she was visibly shaking.

It was a good thing that Rick had insisted on driving because she was in no condition to do so.

Tyson was back. It had to be him, and that simple fact was terrifying.

The street lights blurred in front of her eyes and before she realized it, Rick was standing next to her car door, offering her a hand.

He matched her silence all the way into the building and waited until they were alone inside and the elevator doors were sliding closed before speaking.

"Kate, say something. I've never seen you so freaked out at a crime scene."

"3XK," she breathed, focusing on keeping her voice steady.

"Is a person?"

She nodded. "He's a monster."

"How do you know it's him?"

"It has to be. It's his M.O."

She finally met his eyes for the first time since they crossed the yellow tape and she was haunted by the crystal clear worry etched on his face. He needed to know more, she knew he'd crave the entire story, but she couldn't. Not now. She needed every last drop of energy she had left to focus on the investigation; she wouldn't let him slip through her fingers again.

It was like she was preparing for battle, one that she'd already lost years back. She reached forward for his hand that was hanging down at his side and gave it a squeeze for reassurance as the elevator gave a warning ding that they had arrived at their destination.

The door slid open and they were met with unchartered chaos on the homicide floor. Uniforms scrambled through the desks, while nearly every phone in the department was in use. Ryan and Esposito were already back, staring at the murder board while Montgomery watched on from his office with a solemn expression.

Her heart sank. It really was happening all over again. It might even be worse this time round, knowing what Tyson was capable of.

"Babe, can you go make me some of your fancy coffee from that machine you insisted on buying us?" she asked, looking over and feigning a smile. "It's going to be a long night for me."

"For us…"

She shook her head and placed a couple fingers against his lips, a gentle barrier from further objection.

"Just for me, Rick. After you make the coffee, I need you to go home."

His eyes narrowed as she dropped her hand and she could already see the protest on his lips.

"What? No, Kate. I'm not going to leave you here to deal with this alone."

She hurried him into the corridor next to the elevator. The crowded floor made it hard to have a decent conversation and she knew he wouldn't leave without one. When she was sure they were alone, she leaned forward and brushed a feather light kiss onto his lips, cupping his cheek in her palm.

"I don't want you mixed up in this case." The worry soaked through every syllable of her explanation and her voice caught at the end.

"Kate…" Her hand lingered on his cheek and he sighed, placing his palm over hers as his forehead dropped forward, their skin kissing. He seemed almost desperate to keep her close. "I just want to help. I know there's more to this that you're not telling me and I'm worried about you."

"I know you want to help," she said, avoiding his concern for her safety. She wasn't keeping things from him, but now wasn't the time, especially when she desperately wanted him to stay out of this. "I just need you to go home, babe, and kiss our kids goodnight. I'm going to do boring stuff here and I'll be home later."

He hesitated, his shoulders slumped, defeat present in his eyes.

"Fine, but promise you'll come home and get some sleep. No sleeping in the break room."

"Promise," she said, reaching forward to squeeze his hand before turning to walk toward the madness, stopping for a second to look back at him. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

* * *

Rick glanced at the clock when he heard the creaking of the front door and the muted clicking of the soles of her shoes against the hardwood.

Four a.m.

With a sigh, he pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets, trying his best to clear his sleep-blurred vision. He had tried to wait up for her, but he must have dozed at his desk. Even Nikki Heat held little interest for him when he was preoccupied with worry about his wife and her newest homicide. He braced himself against the armrest of his desk chair and pushed himself up, stumbling through the family room to find her slipping off her boots at the front door.

"Thought you promised you weren't going to sleep in the break room," he mumbled, his voice thick from sleep.

"I didn't." She looked up with a tight smile. "Haven't slept."

Her posture appeared absolutely worn down, shoulders slumped with her spine curved forward like she was almost unable to exert the energy she needed to simply collapse into his waiting arms. She mumbled something incoherent, sinking forward and he slipped his hands around her waist.

He kissed the top of her head as he pulled her tighter against him. "That might be worse."

She was almost falling asleep standing up and he had to support her weight. It was obvious that she was in no condition to clue him in any further on the case or why she was so concerned by this Tyson guy. He didn't want to let it go, but she needed to rest first before the kids woke up in a couple of hours and their routine started all over again.

"I'll handle wake up duty with the troops," he whispered, ushering her into their room and tucking her in like he would Liam.

A small yawn formed on her mouth as she cuddled into the pillow, slurring her words. "I have to go back soon. Can't sleep long…"

He sat on his side of the bed and eased in next to Kate, brushing the mess of curls from her face and kissing her cheek. "Just sleep for as long as you can."

She was snoring softly before he even switched off the light.

* * *

Kate tried her best to not bounce the mattress too much the next morning when she woke up in a panic and found her husband sleeping soundly next to her. She had allowed her body to sleep for two hours at most, the sun had only just begun its ascent into New York's sky.

Physically she was still exhausted, but mentally she was reeling. Too many thoughts and theories were speeding around her subconscious to truly allow her the deep sleep that her body needed. It was going to be a long day in a caffeinated haze.

She couldn't put her well-being first right now, not when so much was at stake. _He_ was looking for revenge, she was sure of it. Lost in a daze, she almost didn't even notice the rustling of bedding.

"Kate? You need to sleep."

"Can't," she whispered and leaned down to press a kiss on his temple. "I need to go the precinct. We need to find him before his next victim."

"Next victim? How do you -?"

"Rick, he's called 3XK for a reason."

His eyebrow arched up at her and she sighed. Of course. How would he have known? It wasn't like they had been together then. Besides, they had tried to keep the media coverage to a minimum to avoid overall panic. She turned to leave him lying in bed.

 _Keep him safe._ She repeated in her head, but she knew better.

"Can you please talk to me? Tell me the story, because what I'm creating in my head is probably so much worse."

She looked down at her hands, her fingers mindlessly picking at her nails, a nervous habit she always tried to tame but cases like this brought it back to the forefront. It was a losing battle. There was no way to avoid bringing him into this.

"A little over a year before I got pregnant with Liam, I was a new homicide detective just transferred from Vice. I was completely green, still learning what Montgomery expected from his team and learning how different homicide cases were…"

"I bet you were adorable," he said with a soft teasing tone, running his hand up her back. She turned to face him, eyes narrowed.

"Do you want the story or not?"

He lifted his hands in defeat, a guilty smile curling on his lips. "Sorry."

She knew he wasn't trying to downplay the seriousness of it. He cared deeply for the victims. Ever since he started following her around, she could tell that he was doing everything in his power to honor each person's lost life. He craved justice almost as much as she did, teasing was just his defense mechanism. She reached for his hand, weaving her fingers between his.

Comfort.

Strength.

He helped her, even with just a simple kiss of their palms.

"Our precinct received a call about a woman, blonde, strangled," she started. "No one knew that this homicide was special, not until the second one was called in. Similar victim, similar pattern. Three victims in one week and then nothing. The killer was never caught, every lead was a dead end."

"So how do you know his name?"

She met his horrified expression for a moment and then stared back at their hands.

"The murders stopped for a month and then it started over again. Blonde, beautiful, strangled. To this day I don't know how it happened, but we somehow stumbled upon a suspect, thought it was our big break. Turned out he was a patsy, but we had actually interviewed Jerry Tyson, the real killer."

Her chest constricted at the memory, remnants of what happened next causing goosebumps to form on her skin. Her fingers twisted around the sheets on the bed as she swallowed, forcing herself to soldier on. Castle deserved to know.

"Tyson's clever and terrifying, but I thought I was brave. Cornered him without backup. He got the drop on me, tied me up and vanished without a trace. I thought he was going to kill me, but I realized later that he wanted me to live - wanted me to live with the fact that I failed and that he'd kill again."

"Kate…" he gasped. She knew this was a lot to take in, but she had to keep going. There was no way she'd find the strength to tell him again.

"And he was right, Rick. He's killed again and I'm still no closer to stopping him." Her nerves were shot. Lack of sleep and heightened panic would make anyone jumpy, her heart was just as erratic. She could almost feel her blood racing through her body, pounding in her ears. After two hours of sleep she was surviving on adrenaline alone.

"You're not the only cop in the city. It's not solely your responsibility."

She forced a smile, allowing her free hand to card through his messy hair, aimlessly toying with the strands.

"Maybe not, but I can't help but feel like it is," she whispered. This case had almost ruined her as a detective and she had always hoped that she would never have to go toe to toe with him again. The fact that this had happened in her jurisdiction last night couldn't be a coincidence. "I need to catch him this time, Rick. I can't let him hurt anyone else. The clock is ticking - two more victims."

"If it's any consolation, I was wrong. This is _definitely_ worse than my imagination."

"I know it is and that's why I just want to keep you guys safe. When he escaped, the things he said to me were chilling, and it's been so long." She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to push out the evil that was invading her thoughts. When she opened them again, she was met with his ocean blue eyes darkened from fear. "I thought he was gone, but now knowing that he's not, I can't leave anything to chance - not with my family."

She scooted to the edge of the bed, swinging her feet over and he followed to sit next to her.

"You really are like a real life superhero, you know that?" he asked, pulling her to his side to wrap her in his arms before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Just missing my cape," she teased, burying her face against his shoulder. She tried to force the joke, keeping her voice as light as possible. It was an act, but even though it was obvious, Rick didn't call her out on it.

"All you have to do is say the word and Amazon can deliver one for you in two business days."

"I'll keep that in mind." She smirked, easing off of the bed and moving into their walk in closet to quickly throw on clothes for the day. "Kiss the kids for me?"

"Of course. I'll tell them Mommy is off slaying dragons."

Typical. Always turning daily life into a fairy tale bedtime story. She would never admit it to him, but it was part of what she loved about him.

Walking to his side of the bed, she gave him a quick kiss goodbye, the display of affection far too short for either of them.

Any more kissing could wait.

Until Tyson was locked up or buried.

"Maybe tell them something different this time, Rick. Last time Liam demanded to see the dragon."

She tossed her pillow from the foot of the bed at him and quietly laughed on her way out the door.

Looking around the loft as she walked out, she sighed. This was why she had to do this.

For them.

* * *

 _ **tbc**_

 _Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of this little adventure._

 _xoxo_

 _Alex, Esther and Jo - thanks for cleaning up the words that spill onto my page._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for still being here._

* * *

 ** _Urgent Care_**

* * *

 _Third Installment in the Medical Attention Series: New York City was in a state of panic but he couldn't think about that right now, all he cared about was making sure his family was safe. S3 AU_

* * *

 _ **Chapter Three**_

Twenty hours.

It had been twenty hours since she had seen her family. The precinct had been chaotic all day. Between constant ringing phones and staring at the murder board, all hands were on deck trying to find a clue or a lead before the second murder turned up.

Time was ticking by and they were no closer to finding where he was or warning his next victim. The crime scene had been clean, eerily so; not that Tyson hadn't been meticulous in the past, but this was to a new degree. No prints. No fibers. Nothing. Her frustration with the lack of new evidence had left her drifting down into the records room and pulling all the old case files. There had to be something they'd missed the first time around.

Montgomery found her hunched at her desk around nine that night. She was obsessing over the old files when he placed a concerned hand on her shoulder and ordered her to go home for some rest. With a promise that the others could handle it, he practically pushed her in the elevator, but not before she shoved the copied case files into her bag to study at home.

When she finally made it back to the loft, Kate was a little surprised to not find her husband at home with the kids, finding Alexis in charge of the sleeping siblings instead. She was so wrapped in the case she had completely forgotten that tonight Rick had a Black Pawn meeting and cocktail mixer with some executives and the press to discuss his next book.

Some wife she was.

Tossing down her bags, she chatted with Alexis for a bit while their dog curled up by her feet. Kate tried her best to focus on the conversation and to not allow her mind to drift back to the case. It was a losing battle; the case had weaved its way into every last thought. Luckily before Alexis noticed her lack of participation in their conversation, she started yawning and decided to retreat to her room for the evening.

Taking a deep breath, Kate sank down into the couch cushions, trying to ease the weight of the day from her body. It didn't work. There was no possibility of relaxing with this case heavy in her thoughts. Seeing the coast was clear, Kate reached for her bag and pulled out the files to take notes, studying every detail.

She became so engrossed in the files that her mind started to weave an anxious tale of all the ways Tyson could somehow get to her by hurting Rick.

Maybe sleep would be a good idea; she was getting paranoid.

"Mama?"

Kate's head popped up from the paperwork in her lap to find her wide eyed daughter toddling into the room. The dog jumped up to greet her with a quick lick and Charlotte answered with a sleepy smile. She should be sleeping, but true to form, she seemed to have snuck out of her 'big girl' bed again. Kate smiled to herself as she watched the child shuffle in her footed pajamas towards the area in front of the couch that she'd turned into a makeshift conference table. Shoving the papers onto the pile in front of her, Kate held out her arms for her to join her on the couch.

"Charlie, what are you doing up, Sweetpea?"

"Mama. Cuddle." The girl yawned and crawled over more paperwork to get into her lap while Chewy walked in a circle before flopping down beside her. He meant well but he was hardly a guard dog by any means. Kate turned her attention back to her child as she curled up in her arms.

"You just don't want to sleep knowing that Daddy's not here," she whispered, brushing a kiss against her crown as soft rings of her daughter's laughter filled the room. She was such a happy baby.

Kate pulled Charlotte closer against her chest, holding her tighter than she would have on most days. She couldn't help it tonight; worry crept into every single action over the last 48 hours - ever since the body drop. Any noise made her jump and she could barely keep down any food, her nerves were messing with every part of her life.

Her thoughts drifted back to Rick. She knew he was safe there, but it didn't quell the panic twisting in her mind about the possibility that Tyson was watching him - watching their family. He should be home soon and maybe then the knot in her stomach would ease and she could breathe deeply again.

Not likely.

She wouldn't fool herself. Knowing that _he_ was still out there, still hurting innocent lives, safety wasn't possible until Tyson was in custody.

"No sad, Mama," Charlotte sighed, nuzzling closer into the soft cashmere of her sweater as another yawn slipped from her rosy lips.

"I'm not sad. Just working on a case." The reassurance was weak, but it was the truth.

She wasn't sad.

She was terrified, motivated, enraged - a whole slew of other emotions - but not sad. A lead. That was all she needed, a glimmer of hope in an almost hopeless situation. Tyson rarely slipped up, and any clue was intentional, but he wasn't perfect in his psychosis. There were moments in the last case that had allowed her to piece together his identity as the true Triple Killer.

All she needed was another breadcrumb like that. The odd sock.

Squeezing her daughter in another hug, she pushed off of the ground and walked them over to the couch. She'd wait until Rick was home and then she could continue investigating, but there was no way of getting through anything now, not with Charlotte cuddled on her chest. The last thing she wanted was for her little girl to inadvertently see a picture from one of the crime scenes. She was careful to keep those images away from her kids.

It was scarring enough for grown adults to have up close encounters with the murder victims, but it could be life changing for a small child. Liam already asked too many questions about her job. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge was never quenched, but she kept the answers vague in a goal to keep her children's innocence intact for as long as possible.

"Mommy?"

Her son's voice pulled her from her thoughts as he crawled onto the couch next to them. She loved moments like this, with both of her children near, but she prefered those moments during the day, not hours past their bedtime when they should be asleep.

"Not that I don't love the late night hugs, Buddy, but what's wrong?"

Liam nuzzled closer into her side and she adjusted a bit to wrap her free arm around him, trying to soothe the concerned expression from his face by gently rubbing his back.

"I heard Charlie," he mumbled with a yawn, his voice still laced with sleep. "I wanted to make sure she was okay."

"How brotherly of you," she said, smirking into his temple before smearing a kiss against his skin. "She's fine. Just waiting for Daddy to get home."

"I sleep better when we're all home."

"Me too. He should be home soon and then we can all get some sleep."

He was quiet, hugging her tighter as he spoke. Guilt spiraled through her thoughts, knowing that when she had to work long hours because of intense cases, it bothered Liam more than he'd ever admit. She hated being away from her kids for extended periods of time, but every hour spent trying to find Tyson was time well spent. In the end, it was all to protect the people she loved from his psychopathic master plan.

"Mommy?"

"Hmm?" she hummed the response against the top of Charlie's head before turning back to look at her little boy.

"This is a bad one, isn't it?"

She sucked in a breath, frozen for a moment to decide what to say. In the end, she took the same approach with him as she would've wanted.

Honesty.

"Yeah, Buddy, it's a bad one."

* * *

The soft creak of the front door closing jarred her into consciousness. Blinking back the sleep from her eyes, she looked down to find both kids passed out, cuddled on her lap. The battle of her will to stay awake had apparently been lost.

"Hey."

Kate craned her neck toward the voice and found Rick standing by the coat closet, pulling off his black dress shoes. She noticed the time on the microwave and scrunched her nose.

"One a.m.? Late night…" she whispered, easing out from under Liam and Charlie and placing a throw blanket over the pair. When it was apparent that they were still sleeping, she moved to meet Rick in the kitchen.

"Yeah, much later than I would've liked." He reached for her, hands grazing her hips before he pulled her body to align with his own, pressing a kiss against her temple. Kate hummed in response as she sank into the warmth of his arms, all the stress from the day finally easing from every inch of her body.

"I needed that. I've missed you today." The statement was probably the biggest understatement she could make, but he was already so worried about her obsession with this case, there was no reason to make it worse.

"Hmm, really? Well how about we get the munchkins in their beds and then you can show me how much in ours?" he asked, the seductive tone of his voice, swirling through her thoughts and sensitizing her skin. The idea of some time alone with him in bed before getting back to the case was too good to pass up.

"You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Castle."

"Kate," he groaned. "You know what it does to me when you call me that."

"I do. That's why I said it," she said with a laugh, nipping at his jaw before turning to tend to their kids. She was just about to scoop Charlotte into her arms, when she heard her phone buzzing on the kitchen counter.

Damn.

"The precinct?" Rick looked at her in question. She slammed her eyes shut with a sigh, pressing a kiss to Charlie's forehead and jogging towards the counter. Who else would be calling her at this time of night.

"It has to be." She grabbed her cell, jabbing at the screen. "Beckett."

There was a pause on the line, before Ryan started talking. "Beckett, there's another one."

"Shit." Her heart dropped. She was too late. Another life gone and she wasn't any closer to catching the psychopath.

"But that's not why I'm calling…" His voice broke causing dread to rush over her body. There was something wrong, something that she couldn't pick out from his tone alone. "I know Montgomery told you to take the night off, but - _he left you a message_ …"

"Who did?"

"Tyson."

 _Oh God_.

"Beckett, there's an envelope addressed to you."

* * *

 ** _TBC_**

 _Thanks for reading this tale and I'm sorry for the delay. Hope you're still with me._

 _xoxo_

 _Thanks to Alex, Esther, and Laura for help._


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